Earlier this month, Spectrum News 1 spoke to a Chautauqua County man with a 40-year drug addiction and his road to recovery, shortly after he drove more than a hundred miles per hour and hit a parked car.

The story was in response to another stern warning about the dangers of addiction and a spike in the number of fatal overdoses across the state.

What You Need To Know

  • A Chautauqua County man spoke about his 40-year drug addiction and his road to recovery, shortly after he drove more than a hundred miles per hour and hit a parked car

  • The story was in response to another stern warning about the dangers of addiction and a spike in the number of fatal overdoses across New York state

  • Addiction can impact the inner circle of a person hooked on drugs, and in this case, like father, like son

Addiction can impact the inner circle of a person hooked on drugs, and in this case, like father, like son.

For Kenny Kendall, 32, of Jamestown, playing video games at home is a welcomed distraction. He is a newly recovering drug addict, after using meth and molly, also known as ecstasy. He started when he was just a kid.

"It is scary,” Kendall said. “I lost my apartment. I lost my kids and I lost my wife. I lost everything.”

So did Kenny's dad Ken, who is also in recovery and now leads the Mental Health Association in Dunkirk helping others, after battling a 40-year addiction of his own.

While Kenny witnessed his dad doing drugs, Ken was on the road a lot, and says he was not aware of his son's addiction.

"Me and Kenny had an estranged relationship, because of my addiction,” Ken said. “I pushed everyone away from me that I loved and cared about because I didn't want them around the life that I was living. I didn't get to realize how bad it affected my children.” 

Ken has since re-established a relationship with Kenny, his other children and his wife.

And for the first time, Ken shared a poignant moment and stunning acknowledgment, taking much of the blame for his son's addiction.

"I'm sorry that you had to watch me struggle,” Ken said to his son. “But now I'm watching you, it just gives me so much pride that you're doing what you're doing now. And I love you. This is the first time I've said it. Very proud of how you're coming along in your recovery, but I'm also sorry that you had to go through that. Because I should have seen it coming. And I hope you can forgive me.”

"We often don't acknowledge that, that impact goes farther than the individual," said Steve Killburn, grant projects director at the Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene.

Killburn says so much attention is paid to the addict, and less on their families, friends and neighbors; those also impacted and suffering from the sidelines.

"It's maddening,” Killburn said. “It's frightening. It's stressful. It can be depressing. It can lead to a kind of hopelessness."

Killburn says there is a genetic component to addiction, which is another reason why Kenny may have followed in his father Ken's footsteps.

Ken also says his father and grandfather were addicted to alcohol.

Killburn says there are just as many resources for family members struggling with a loved one's addiction.

"Most New Yorkers who are one degree of separation away from someone with an active substance use disorder, so that's the prevalence,” Killburn said. “What we don't maybe acknowledge either as much as perhaps we should is that recovery has kind of a contagious element to it.”

As is the case with Ken and Kenny, who only entered recovery less than a year ago while living in Florida.

"I was so tired of being tired,” Kenny said. “And I was tired of being an emotional wreck and wanting to kill myself. And instead of killing myself, I reached out.”

After Ken learned of his son's addiction, he urged Kenny to move back home and continue treatment at a local hospital.

Kenny, with his dad right behind him, also seeks help and volunteers at the Mental Health Association in Jamestown, where he attends a number of events and support groups as a way to stay busy and clean.

"I don't know where I would be,” Kenny said. “It's been really helpful. The groups, the people. I wouldn't have done this without MHA and my dad.”

They are getting the help they need, while helping others break their cycle of addiction.

"The work he has put in,” Ken said. “Kind of following in my footsteps of recovery. There's nothing more proud that I can be because we're losing people left and right and I don't want to lose my son.”

Kenny is also working toward reconnecting with his son as well.

If you or someone you know is addicted to drugs and needs help, here is a list of resources: